As part of my modular studies during my 3 years at the University of Sunderland on the Journalism course; part of cementing myself in the Industry in my future ahead involves creating a name for myself so here I am.

Hi, I’m Taz!

Fashion is an ever-evolving aspect of social culture, created and passed on – much like tradition – from the generations before us and to those beyond.

My goal personally as a newly minted student, is to bask in the echo chamber of the fashion world, immersing myself in trends that have long gone, and those yet to come.

The one thing I like about fashion the most would definitely be its flexibility and uniqueness; no article of clothing is ever the same, even down to the way it was cut and sewn.

But before I waffle on about my personal interests, let’s learn a little about myself, shall we?

Name: Taz Chowdhury

Age: Currently, 18

Where are you from & what are you Studying?: I am from the neighbouring city of Newcastle upon Tyne, and I’m currently studying Journalism plus taking on the “Style & Subcultures” Module for the 1st Semester.

Why Journalism?: I knew I wanted to be able to have some sort of creative freedom in the working industry but I wasn’t set in stone with what I wanted to do for certain; so I chose the option of general Journalism to give me more flexibility in what I wanted to do down the line.

What are you most looking forward to during your studies?: At the moment I’m very excited for one of my first assignments actually.

It involves studying and researching a style icon of choice and writing an essay on my findings. (Spoilers I’m going to write about the punk rock lead singer Siouxsie from the band Siouxsie and The Banshees.)

What is your dream job?: I’d most likely want to become some sort of Investigative Journalist or a Fashion Journalist – or even both if I had the willpower of a God.

How would you describe your style?: Most of my fashion choices come from the influence and my personal taste in music, as well as my cultural background and ethnicity.

I listen to an array of genres but I’m mostly a fan of darkly inclined genres like rock, metal etc. I do enjoy a good bit of pop and other mainstream music too!

Additionally, I also enjoy traditional folk songs from Bangladesh and India.

Favourite Fashion era?: I’d say I like any fashion period between the 1970s to the early 2000s, and every single fashion era that has ever existed in South Asia coming up to the early 2000s.

My main interest comes from my identity of being Bengali; where the main staple of clothing for women (typically) is a sari. Saris are the prime example of how the most mundane and plain things can become marvellous pieces of innovation.

For those who aren’t aware of what a sari is; it is a traditional clothing item which originated – and still exists – from the regions of South Asia.

 

 

 

At first glance when unworn, it may look like a ridiculously long and beautiful embroidered length of fabric; however, the beauty of the sari comes from the way in which it is draped.

Many areas of South Asia have their own draping styles, which can also be distinguished through the time period in which a particular draping style was common.

Many Asian cultures share the tradition of layering and draping fabrics, such as the Chinese Hanfu and the Japanese Kimono. However, each are very unique and represents the different time eras and how factors such as wealth, power, status and war have impacted

Fashion in South Asia, as well as jewellery in general, is a treasured component of womanhood. A mother’s bond and love are usually portrayed by the passing down of gold pieces such as earrings or “jumka’s”, bangles, forehead pieces or “tikka’s”, which are more than likely to have been passed down from the mother’s own mother and so on.

As an unfortunate consequence of war and conflict, these adornments being sold was a common way to make ends meet during hardship and became – in its own way – a form of currency among sisters, mothers, aunts, nieces and daughters.

 

So, to conclude, Fashion can derive from anywhere and everywhere; and it only takes a simple bit of creativity for something magnificent to be born.

What are your favourite eras of fashion? Do you have any items of clothing or jewellery pieces you love? Let me know in the comments below!